US9105705B2ActiveUtilityPatentIndex 63

Method and apparatus for plasma dicing a semi-conductor wafer

Assignee: PLASMA THERM LLCPriority: Mar 14, 2011Filed: Mar 6, 2013Granted: Aug 11, 2015

Est. expiryMar 14, 2031(~4.7 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority

Inventors:PAYS-VOLARD DAVID MARTINEZ LINNELL JOHNSON CHRIS JOHNSON DAVID WESTERMAN RUSSELL GRIVNA GORDON M

H10P 74/203H10P 14/24H10P 72/7621H10P 72/7612H10P 72/7611H10P 72/7606H10P 72/0428H10P 72/0421H10P 72/72H10P 50/244H10P 50/242H10P 54/00H01J 37/32H01J 37/32532H01J 37/32009H01J 37/32715H01J 2237/334H01L 21/68735H01L 21/6831H01L 21/67069H01L 21/30655H01L 21/78H01L 21/3065H01L 21/68771H01L 21/67092

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Claims

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for plasma dicing a substrate. The method comprising providing a process chamber having a wall; providing a plasma source adjacent to the wall of the process chamber; providing a work piece support within the process chamber; placing the substrate onto a support film on a frame to form a work piece work piece; loading the work piece onto the work piece support; providing a clamping electrode for electrostatically clamping the work piece to the work piece support; providing a mechanical partition between the plasma source and the work piece; generating a plasma through the plasma source; and etching the work piece through the generated plasma.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified

What is claimed is:

1. A method for plasma dicing a substrate, the method comprising:
providing a process chamber having a wall;
providing a plasma source adjacent to the wall of the process chamber;
providing a work piece support within the process chamber, the work piece support having an electrostatic chuck having an outer diameter;
placing a work piece onto said work piece support, said work piece having a support film, a frame and the substrate;
providing a mechanical partition within the process chamber, said mechanical partition being positioned between the plasma source and said work piece;
providing a cover ring within the process chamber, said cover ring being positioned between the mechanical partition and said work piece;
generating a plasma using the plasma source; and
etching the work piece using the generated plasma,
wherein the cover ring does not contact the work piece during the etching.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said mechanical partition segregating the source from the process chamber.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said mechanical partition being positioned at least one millimeter above the substrate.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said mechanical partition is electrically conductive.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said mechanical partition reducing ion density reaching said work piece.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein the plasma between said work piece and said mechanical partition being sustained by RF bias power.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein said mechanical partition reducing plasma emission intensity reaching said work piece.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising maintaining a temperature of said mechanical partition in a range of 0° C. to 350° C.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein said mechanical partition overlapping a portion of the substrate.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein said mechanical partition completely overlapping the substrate.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein said mechanical partition further comprising a plurality of perforations.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein said plurality of perforations being uniformly distributed across said mechanical partition.

13. The method according to claim 11 wherein said plurality of perforations being non-uniformly distributed across said mechanical partition.

14. A method for plasma dicing a substrate, the method comprising:
providing a process chamber having a wall;
providing a plasma source adjacent to the wall of the process chamber;
providing a work piece support within the process chamber, the work piece support having an electrostatic chuck having an outer diameter;
providing a lifting mechanism adjacent to the work piece support within the process chamber, said outer diameter of the electrostatic chuck extending to the lifting mechanism;
placing a work piece onto said work piece support, said work piece having a support film, a frame and the substrate;
providing a plurality of mechanical partitions within the process chamber, said plurality of mechanical partitions being positioned between the plasma source and said work piece;
providing a cover ring within the process chamber, said cover ring being positioned between the plurality of mechanical partitions and said work piece;
generating a plasma using the plasma source; and
etching the work piece using the generated plasma,
wherein the cover ring does not contact the work piece during the etching.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein said plurality of mechanical partitions segregating the source from the chamber.

16. The method according to claim 14 wherein at least one of said plurality of mechanical partitions overlapping at least a portion of one of said plurality of mechanical partitions.

17. The method according to claim 14 wherein said plurality of mechanical partitions are electrically conductive.

18. The method according to claim 14 wherein said plurality of mechanical partitions reducing ion flux reaching said work piece.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the plasma between said work piece and said plurality of mechanical partitions being sustained by RF bias power.

20. The method according to claim 14 wherein said plurality of mechanical partitions reducing plasma emission intensity reaching said work piece.

21. The method according to claim 14 further comprising maintaining a temperature of said plurality of mechanical partitions in a range of 0° C. to 350° C.

22. The method according to claim 14 wherein said plurality of mechanical partitions overlapping a portion of the substrate.

23. The method according to claim 14 wherein said plurality of mechanical partitions completely overlapping the substrate.

24. The method according to claim 14 wherein said plurality of mechanical partitions further comprising a plurality of perforations.

25. The method according to claim 24 wherein said plurality of perforations being uniformly distributed across said plurality of mechanical partitions.

26. The method according to claim 24 wherein said plurality of perforations being non-uniformly distributed across said plurality of mechanical partitions.

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